It looks like Gov. Bruce Rauner got the government shutdown he wanted. The Illinois fiscal year began on July 1, and when that day dawned, we had no budget, and the government began to close down operations.

We certainly have fiscal problems, and they’ll require us to work collaboratively to make tough choices. It won’t be easy but I’m ready to do just that. Gov. Rauner was elected to do that too — to erase our budget deficit, pay down our pension debt and improve our bond rating.

Gov. Bruce Rauner is personally meeting with mayors throughout the state in an effort to get them to support his "turnaround agenda" for Illinois and put pressure on the legislature.

But according to Southland mayors I spoke with, the governor is meeting with a frosty reception because of his threat to cut by 50 percent the towns' share of state income tax revenue and his demand that the mayors basically declare war on public employee unions.

The governor's office has sent copies of a resolution and a supporting document to regional municipal groups (the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association and Southwest Conference of Mayors, for example). The resolution is entitled "The Turnaround Agenda - Local Government Empowerment and Reform."